How Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Weight

Coconut oil is becoming much more prevalent. You probably see it on the shelves at the grocery store, the pharmacy, all over the internet and your favorite morning talk shows. It is being touted as the new miracle food and weight loss aid.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat – but do not be alarmed – it is the best healthy fat for weight loss; however, not all coconut oils are created equally. When incorporating it into your diet you want to use organic, virgin coconut oil.

The majority of fats you consume in your diet, whether saturated or unsaturated, animal or plants are long chain fatty acids.

Long chain fatty acids are the unhealthy fats; medium chain fatty acids are much easier to metabolize.

The molecular structure of coconut oil is fatty acids that are shorter and more water soluble than other oils. This means that because coconut oil is composed of medium chain fatty acids, it has less opportunity to be stored as fat.

Coconut oil is unique in nature because it is nature’s richest source of medium chain fatty acids. Why is this important?

A study conducted by the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at McGill University showed that because MCFAs are absorbed more efficiently than other fatty acids and do not require any energy for absorption, they increase energy expenditure and therefore increase metabolism.

Why Are Fats Good For You?

A study conducted by the US Center for Disease Control shows that the “low fat is healthy” craze that has consumed society for the past twenty years has actually correlated with an obesity rate that has nearly doubled in the same time frame.

Obesity can increase a person’s risk for a number of extremely serious medical conditions.

What makes ‘fat free’ or ‘low fat’ foods so unhealthy for you?

The process of removing fat from oils in particular involves adding chemicals to the oil that are exceedingly alkaline.

In addition, when fat is removed from food many of the fat soluble vitamins that food once contained are removed as well.

Vitamins such as A, D, E, and K, which aid our vision, immune function, cognitive development and bone density to name but a few.

Whole, real foods are an important part of a balanced diet. This includes fats.

So how does coconut oil help you lose weight?

1. Supresses of Appetite

Typically, you want to consume coconut oil approximately twenty minutes before a meal.

Doing so can help to reduce your appetite, and leave you feeling satiated with smaller portions.

Many websites will tell you that the easiest way to consume your coconut oil before a meal is to take a tablespoon before each meal.

Holding the oil in your mouth will liquefy it, and then it can be swallowed more easily.

This is effective, but not necessarily the most appetizing method. There are many other ways to incorporate coconut oil into your diet that will provide you with the same results.

Try making a smoothie, or roasting your veggies and meats in coconut oil.

2. Increases Energy Expenditure

When consumed in the morning, coconut oil can help to increase your energy levels.

With coconut oil, your energy expenditure would be approximately 225 calories.

Recipe for Weight loss

Coconut oil is not the magic answer to your weight loss journey. Not all people who incorporate coconut oil into their diets will lose weight; not because coconut oil is ineffective, but because it is being used incorrectly.

At its simplest, weight loss is in essence a math equation: you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

Coconut oil is calorie dense. If you incorporate it into an already unhealthy diet, you are more likely to gain weight than you are to lose weight.

However, according to the Mayo Clinic when paired with an overall healthy lifestyle, coconut oilcan be extremely helpful in trimming the harmful fats that store around your stomach.

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